April 18, 2012
Tallahassee, FL

The NAEP 12th Grade Preparedness Commission hosted a symposium in Tallahassee, Florida, to discuss the NAEP research on 12th grade academic preparedness and the feasibility of The Nation's Report Card serving as an indicator for preparedness. The Jackson event, which brought together regional leaders in K-12 and higher education, business, civil rights, and legislative policy, was the fifth in the series and followed events in Boston, Jackson (MS), Nashville, and Sacramento.

A panel of noted local experts addressed the implications of 12th grade academic preparedness for Mississippi's economy and jobs and discussed the potential relevance of NAEP as an indicator of preparedness for Florida and the nation.

Presiding over the symposium was the Hon. Ronnie Musgrove, former governor of Mississippi and Chair of the NAEP 12th Grade Preparedness Commission.

Hon. Anitere Flores, Florida State Senator and member of the National Assessment Governing Board, and Cornelia Orr, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, presented information about the preparedness research initiative and solicited ideas from attendees for additional research and partnering opportunities.

Randy Hanna, chancellor of the Florida College System; R.E. LeMon, associate vice chancellor of the Florida Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida; and Pam Stewart, chancellor of Public Schools of the Florida Department of Education, represented the perspective of education leaders during the panel discussion. David Hart, executive vice president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, represented the business perspective.Representative Erik Fresen and Senator David Simmonsspoke from the perspective of state legislators.

Observations that emerged from panelists' and attendees' contributions include:

In Florida, education policies do not specify real consequences—or incentives—for student achievement after the 10th grade. Increased rigor of curriculum and expectations at grade 12, tied to consequences, could lead to increased academic preparedness.

Unpreparedness is a national problem of epidemic proportions that is under-diagnosed and underreported. Lack of academic preparedness is a profound problem, with real consequences for our nation's competitiveness.

NAEP has provided a very important independent, external measure that permits Florida to compare its student achievement with the nation and other states.

State NAEP at the 12th grade fills an important, otherwise unavailable, information need.

Florida business leaders hold a strong belief in measurement and accountability. The ability for businesses considering locating in a state such as Florida to look at NAEP scores to see how students compare to those in other states and countries, assess the talent supply, and answer the question "Can we compete?" is critical.

Without accurate data, it's difficult to make accurate decisions. Given that Florida now has a wealth of education data from NAEP and other assessments, it is incumbent upon policymakers to act on it and use the data to drive instruction. In particular, states like Florida can interpret NAEP data to learn from the successes of the highest-achieving states.

In addition to informing policymakers, NAEP can inform parents and the public so that they know "what they're getting" as students matriculate through the K-12 system.

Future preparedness research to consider should include: A comparison of NAEP to the Florida Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT), studies looking back to performance at the 8th grade as well as the 10th and 12th grades, and a study of the alignment of NAEP and the Common Core State Standards and Assessments.

NAEP—the National Assessment of Educational Progress—is also known as The Nation's Report Card. Congressionally authorized and funded since 1969, NAEP reports to the public on the status and progress of student achievement in core subjects at grades 4, 8, and 12.

The National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees NAEP, is conducting a comprehensive program of research to transform NAEP into an indicator of 12th grade academic preparedness for college and job training.

NAEP is uniquely positioned to serve as this indicator because it is the only source of nationally representative student achievement data at the 12th grade.

The Governing Board's research program, now in its first phase, involves more than 30 planned studies. The purpose of the research is to identify the reading and mathematics skills and knowledge, as measured by NAEP, needed to qualify, without remediation, for first-year college courses or job training.

Research results so far are promising. A report on the first phase of the research program is expected in 2012.

The Honorable Ronnie Musgrove was Governor of the State of Mississippi from 2000 through 2004, having served two terms as State Senator and Chairman of the Education Committee. He is an attorney, having joined Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A. in 2004, where he is Of Counsel. He has served as Chairman of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors, the Southern Regional Education Board, the Southern States Energy Board, and the Southern Growth Policies Board. Governor Musgrove has also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Governors Association, the Executive Committee of the Democratic Governors Association, the National Assessment Governing Board, and the National Governors Association. He is a strong proponent of public education and is active in volunteerism, working with both Habitat for Humanity and Stewpot Community Services. He is a graduate of Northwest Mississippi Community College, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Mississippi Law School.

Anitere Flores is a Florida legislator (R-Miami) who has represented District 38 in the Florida Senate since 2010, following service as a State Representative for District 114 from 2004-2010. Sen. Flores also currently serves as the Majority (Republican) Whip. Sen. Flores has received numerous awards for her legislative service, including the Public Education Leader Award from the Florida Association of School Administrators and Legislator of the Year from the National Association of Social Workers. Sen. Flores previously served as Education Council Policy Chief from 2000-2002 in the Florida House and has advised former Gov. Jeb Bush on statewide policies. From 2002-2004, she served as Director of State Relations for Florida International University.

State Representative Erik Fresen (R) was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in November 2008 and was re-elected in 2010. He currently Chairs K-20 Competitiveness Subcommittee, and sits on the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, Education Committee, Federal Affairs Subcommittee, and Redistricting Committee.

A native of Miami, Erik moved to Tallahassee after graduation from Christopher Columbus High School in 1994 to attend Florida State University and begin working closely with government and politics. His experience in social service and the political arena took its roots in the state legislature as a legislative aide, working in both the House and the Senate.

After receiving a B.S. in Finance and International Affairs and completing graduate work at FSU, he returned to Miami and started his own governmental relations firm.

As a Land Use and Public Policy Advisor, he worked for the law firm of Holland & Knight from 2005-2008. He has represented property owners with a focus on land use, zoning, and real estate law covering the related issues that come before state, regional and local agencies. His clients have included a number of not-for-profit and private sector organizations doing business with local government entities. Erik currently works for the Architecture and Land Planning firm Civica, LLC.

Erik is married to Ethel Rodríguez and they are the proud parents of twin boys, Adrian and Julian (6), and a daughter, Paulina (10 months).

Randy Hanna, Chancellor of the Florida College System, has a tremendous higher education background where he previously served as Chair of the Florida State Board of Community Colleges, Chair of the Florida College System Foundation and member of Tallahassee Community College's governing board. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of West Florida and has served as a trustee for Florida A&M University.

Mr. Hanna has served as special counsel to numerous governmental units, has represented clients before state agencies and has worked on numerous projects in the energy and utility areas. Mr. Hanna has been Managing Shareholder of Bryant Miller Olive since 1997.

Mr. Hanna has a B.S. degree from the University of Florida and an M.B.A. from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Mr. Hanna is listed in the 2007-08 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and has been recognized by Florida Trend Magazine as among the state's Legal Elite. He has served as Chairman of The Florida Board of Bar Examiners and Chairman of the Tallahassee Area Chamber of Commerce.

David was born in Tampa and raised in Winter Haven, Florida. He graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science. He spent five years in Washington, D.C. serving first as a Legislative Officer at the United States Department of Transportation and later as the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs at the United States Peace Corps.

In 1993, David returned to Florida and earned a Master's Degree in International Affairs at Florida State University. Upon graduation, he accepted a position as the Director of Governmental and Public Affairs with Summit Consulting, Inc. in Polk County. From 1996 to 1997 David served in the legislative office of then-Commissioner of Education, Frank Brogan. He left that post to become the Political Director for Jeb Bush's successful 1998 campaign for Governor. David served on Governor Bush's Transition Team and as the Director of Legislative Affairs at the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs.

After spending six years as the Vice President of Government Relations at WCI Communities, David accepted the role of Vice President of Legislative and Governmental Affairs for the Florida Home Builders Association in 2007.

As of July 1, 2010, David has joined the Florida Chamber of Commerce in the newly created position of Executive Vice President to manage the Chamber's extensive legislative and political operations.

David has served on the Board of Directors for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Tax Watch, the Bonita Springs Affordable Housing Development Corporation, the Southwest Florida Transportation Initiative and the Edison-Ford Winter Estates Foundation. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Collier Economic Development Council and Finance Chairman for the Lee County Republican Party.

He is a graduate of Leadership Florida and is also a gubernatorial appointee on the Board of Directors for the Florida Fellows program. David and his wife, Jill, have two children, Savannah and Hayden.

+ bioR. E. LeMon
Associate Vice Chancellor, Florida Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida

Dr. R. E. LeMon is Associate Vice Chancellor for the Florida Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida. His current areas of focus are working to enhance the State University System's global research, economic development, and commercialization capabilities; and advocating and providing oversight for its medical education programs.

Dr. LeMon received his Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Western Michigan University in 1970, and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Stanford University in 1972 where he was a Mirrielees Writing Fellow in Poetry. Following a year teaching preschool non-native speakers of English in California, he spent six years on the faculty of the University of New Orleans, followed by faculty positions at the University of the Ryukyus in Japan, and Suzhou University in the People's Republic of China.

While earning his Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1989, he began working with the Florida Board of Regents (now the Florida Board of Governors), Office of Academic and Student Affairs, and in his multi-decade career there has served in positions ranging from Coordinator to Interim Chancellor. He has worked in virtually every area of higher education academic planning and evaluation at the system-level, including working to achieve national recognition for Florida's universities, enhancing international education, working with the Boards' performance and accountability initiatives, recommending new professional and doctoral degrees (including three new medical schools), establishing programmatic review policies and procedures, establishing non-academic accountability measures for higher education, ensuring the maintenance of Florida's two-plus-two transfer system, positioning the State University System of Florida's research capabilities to create engines for economic development, and serving as the Board's liaison to the State University System Professional Science Master's Initiative.

Dr. LeMon has served or currently serves on a number of boards, task forces, and workgroups, including the Governor's Action Team on Alternate Energy and Climate Change Government Policy Technical Working Group, and the Florida Department of Health's Physician's Workforce Strategic Planning Workgroup. At the national level, he served on one of the working groups to initiate the Voluntary System of Accountability, served on the Planning Accreditation Board, and served as a site observer for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

David Simmons is the State Senator for District 22, serving Orange and Seminole Counties. He took office on November 3, 2010, and was sworn in as our new State Senator on November 16, 2010.

David is chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations. He is a member of the Committees on Budget, Agriculture, Budget Subcommittee on Higher Education Appropriations, Judiciary, and Rules Subcommittee on Ethics and Elections. He is also a Republican Majority Whip.

During the 2011 Legislative Session, David sponsored several important pieces of legislation. These included improving the business market for spaceflight tourism companies; providing a reasonable and flexible implementation of the class size amendment; giving a property tax break to active military members deployed abroad; de-regulating telephone service to provide more competition and benefit both consumers and businesses; and solidifying and protecting private property rights.

David was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 through 2008. From his experience in the House, David gained expertise in a broad spectrum of issues that are important in our State. The Orlando Sentinel consistently rated David Simmons as one of the most effective Legislators in Central Florida. In 2007, speaking about David's accomplishments, The Sentinel said that David Simmons is "the definition of substance over style." In 2008, The Sentinel said David was the House's problem solver. Just recently, the Sentinel rated David as a leader in the Senate.

David was responsible for obtaining the funding for the University of Central Florida's highly acclaimed Interactive Entertainment Academy; obtaining significant funding for Seminole Community College, including its new Altamonte Springs campus; being a major force behind the legislation that saved nursing homes for our senior citizens during the 2001 nursing home crisis; sponsoring the landmark Florida constitutional amendment that passed requiring 60% approval by voters of any amendment to our constitution; and rewriting Florida law so as to permit citizens to stand their ground in self defense of themselves and their family members, which became model legislation used throughout the United States and the world. With persistence and dedication David worked tirelessly to change the education funding formula to bring an additional $100 million to Central Florida schools.

The Florida Sheriffs' Association, the Florida Medical Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the Florida Restaurant Association have awarded David Legislator of the Year Awards. He received the Faith and Family Award from the Christian Coalition of Florida. Recently, Association Industries of Florida named David as a Champion of Business.

David was born in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated first in his class in Mathematics from Tennessee Technological University in 1974. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt Law School, one of the nation's premier law schools, where he has served on its National Council.

David is the financial managing partner of de Beaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP, one of the largest law firms in Central Florida with over 50 attorneys. He is board certified by The Florida Bar both in Business Litigation and Civil Trial. He is also board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He holds the highest ranking an individual attorney can receive (AV) as designated by Martindale-Hubbell Directory. He is known as one of Central Florida's premier commercial litigation attorneys.

David has lived in Florida since 1977 and has a long history of public service in Florida. Most importantly, he is the father of two beautiful girls, Krysia (16) and Alicya (13), who are the love of his life. He and his family attend Annunciation Catholic Church.

Pam Stewart is the Chancellor of Public Schools for the Florida Department of Education. In this role, she oversees K-12 Student Achievement; Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Services; School Improvement; and Educator Quality. Mrs. Stewart also oversees the management and delivery of such affiliate programs as K-12 Race to the Top projects, Just Read, Florida!, Office of Early Learning, and Florida's Virtual Education Program. These areas and programs provide supports for Florida's PreK-12 Education System which serves more than 2.67 million students and 189,000 educators.

Prior to her appointment as Chancellor of Public Schools, she was the Deputy Superintendent for Academic Services in the St. Johns County School District. Mrs. Stewart oversaw curriculum and learning; planning and accountability; federal programs; and instructional materials, leadership training, and exceptional student education for St. Johns County. The St. Johns County School District was recently touted as Florida's top ranked school district.

From 2004 to 2009, Mrs. Stewart was the Florida Department of Education's Deputy Chancellor for Educator Quality where she was responsible for providing services to school districts, universities, and individuals to help ensure that the State's educational workforce is of the highest quality. Primary responsibilities included the development of standards for the education profession, directing the activities of educator certification and renewal, educator recruitment and investigation of educator misconduct, and discipline of educators who are found guilty of misconduct.

With more than 30 years dedicated to education, Mrs. Stewart established her place in education having been a classroom teacher, an elementary and high school principal, and a guidance counselor in Florida. Mrs. Stewart holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education/Early Childhood from the University of South Florida (1973-1975), a Master of Education in Counselor Education degree from the University of Central Florida, and coursework in Educational Leadership at Stetson University.

Mark Musick holds the James H. Quillen Chair of Excellence in Education and Teaching at East Tennessee State University and is president emeritus of the Southern Regional Education Board, America's first interstate compact for education. Mr. Musick was appointed by three U.S. Secretaries of Education to chair the National Assessment Governing Board. He is a charter member of the new board of ACT, Inc., serving as lead director of the ACT board and as a member of the ACT executive committee. Mr. Musick was elected in 2006 to the board of directors of the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment.